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NFL Picks

What Have NFL Bettors Learned Heading Into Week 4?

It was another crazy Sunday in the NFL with what might have been the early game of the year with the Super Bowl rematch. Here are four things we learned from the NFL odds.

E.J. Manuel Is A Bum
It’s time to throw in the towel on another crappy Buffalo Bills draft pick: Manuel is not a quality NFL quarterback. The offense is dumbed down for him with one-read plays and he’s still missing throws all over the place. Prior to Sunday, he had only attempted five passes that traveled 20 yards or more down the field.

The only way the Bills compete is when they can run the ball successfully but whenever they need to rely on Manuel, they’re in trouble. Take a look at this stat: the Bills are 1-5 when he attempts 30 or more passes and 5-2 when he attempts less. That tells you all you need to know.

The Miami Dolphins: The Reason You Don’t Put Too Much Stock Into Week 1
The Dolphins were supposedly on the rise after an impressive 33-20 win over the New England Patriots in Week 1 but that just goes to show how much Week 1 can be a mirage. Since that win, the Dolphins have been outscored 53-25 in losses to the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.

The offense is a complete mess right now as Ryan Tannehill doesn’t look capable of being a franchise quarterback while head coach Joe Philbin, who is supposed to be a shrewd offensive mind, is about to get the axe. On top of that, the defense is only so-so. Considering how much money the Dolphins have spent in the last two offseasons, this is simply unacceptable.

Broncos Defense Isn’t Much Better
Aqib Talib...DeMarcus Ware…T.J. Ward…Bradley Roby…all we heard is how much better this Denver Broncos offense would be next season. As it turns out, they aren’t dominant and they are only modestly improved. They barely held the hapless Kansas City Chiefs to 17 points last week and then basically allowed the Seattle Seahawks to walk all over them this week. This was supposed to be one of the better units in the NFL. It’s not. They are still quite leaky. This team will only win a Super Bowl if Peyton Manning and company carry them; this defense can be beaten by most teams.

Packers, 49ers Truly Flawed
It was an odd Sunday for NFC title contenders Green Bay and San Francisco. What would make sense is that the Packers would put up a good fight or topple the Detroit Lions, a team that’s always been a step behind them in the Aaron Rodgers era. And one would also think that the 49ers, who were coming off an embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bears, would bounce back against the Arizona Cardinals, who were starting a backup quarterback. But neither turned out that way.

The 49ers again blew a lead – this time 14-6 – and again scored zero points in the fourth quarter (for a third straight game). As for the Packers, they only mustered seven points in Detroit, which was the first time since 2008 that they registered such a low total on the NFL odds.

For these teams to be true NFC title contenders, they can’t slip up like this. Combined with the Saints loss in Cleveland last week and it goes to show just how open the NFC is right now.